This invention was the subject matter of DDP Registration No. 161508 which was filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Jan. 2, 1987.
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,330,161; 4,411,481; 4,423,812; and 4,432,453, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse receptacle devices for cassettes.
While the prior art constructions are more than adequate for the purpose and function for which they were specifically designed, they do suffer from a number of shared deficiencies.
For instance, none of the prior art constructions provide a means to insulate and protect cassettes from outside heat. Because of the extreme sensitivity of a typical cassette to excessive heat, such an oversight should never have been permitted by the developers of the prior art constructions.
In addition, the storage disposition employed by the prior art devices obscure the view of the front cover of the cassette cartridge except for the forwardmost cassette. In most instances, manipulation of the individual cassettes is required before any portion of the cassette's front cover is exposed. This arrangement is very impractical due to the fact that the information normally contained on the front face of a cassette is usually the most important factor involved in the selection of a given cassette.
Obviously, there has been a long standing need for a cassette receptacle which incorporates thermal protection from excessive heat as well as simplicity in cassette identification and selection. As a consequence the development of such a device became the focus, purpose and objective of the present invention.